The Latest Breaking News from The Independent

IN FOCUS: Bethany Clarke’s friend was one of six foreigners who died after drinking tainted vodka at a Laotian hotel. More than a year later, the family and friends of those killed are calling for changes to protect travellers – and justice for their deaths. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports

THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: If Labour is to avoid catastrophe in the May local elections, the prime minister and his cabinet need to pull together and deliver both action and good news

Union boss Matt Wrack warned that the PM ‘can never out-Farage Farage’ as the government attempt to win back votes lost to Reform UK

Findings of a survey commissioned by The Independent reveals Andy Burnham as favourite to take over from the prime minister

Private companies are jumping into the race to deploy particles to the atmosphere to reduce global warming, prompting enthusiasm from investors and concerns from some scientists, Josh Marcus reports

IN DEPTH: In April, the UK’s highest court ruled that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex. Nicole Wootton-Cane speaks to five transgender Britons about how they feel the decision has affected their lives, and what comes next

IN FOCUS: Britain is accused of undermining a key aid pledge to support Sudan after failing to maintain the flow of aid as refugees flee to South Sudan, reports Nick Ferris. Stories from the border between the two countries reveal just how devastating the cuts have been

THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Editorial: Our readers have generously donated £165,000 in our Christmas appeal, so Missing People is now well on its way to launching SafeCall to give a supportive ear to a young person in distress

SAFECALL APPEAL: For families of missing children, Christmas can be the hardest time of all. As The Independent’s SafeCall campaign reaches £165,000, parents and siblings open up about the ‘horrific’ pain of the festive season. Tara Cobham and Harriette Boucher report

An extraordinary public response means the free, round-the-clock service can now be launched, reaching the 72,000 young people who go missing every year

Over the weekend, Weiss intervened shortly before airtime to pull a planned ‘60 Minutes’ segment on CECOT, the notorious Salvadoran prison where the U.S. has sent hundreds of migrants without due process